Will we see the Rafa Slam?

Anticipation over a possible “Rafa Slam” is expected to dominate the lead up to Australian Open 2011.

Australian Open 2011 was officially launched at Hisense Arena this morning under the new tagline of taking the event to “a whole new level”.

Spanish World No.1 Rafael Nadal plans to do just that and can become only the eighth man in history to win all four Slams within a 12-month period if he can conquer Melbourne Park next January.

“It is a mouth-watering proposition, and he certainly will be one of the favourites,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.

“But I think Rafa himself would be the first to point out that at the moment it is all just speculation and there are a lot of tough opponents, including the reigning champion Roger Federer, standing between him and that place in history.”

Tiley said Federer had shown in the past that writing him out of contention was a foolhardy thing to do.

“Just look what he did this year, yet 12 months earlier some people were writing him off after he lost to Rafa in the final here in 2009. How did he respond? He turned around and won the French and Wimbledon,” Tiley said.

He reiterated that the potential champions in the men’s field could come from any one of Nadal, Federer, Murray, Djokovic, Del Potro, Roddick, Tsonga, Hewitt or even a so-called outsider.

“The men’s field has so much depth and the Australian Open has become renowned as the event where rising stars make their move. Just look in past years at Djokovic, Tsonga, Gonzalez and Baghdatis just to name a few.”

Courtesy: Australian Open